President ’ s MESSAGE
Back-to-School Safety caa Manitoba ’ s ongoing efforts for grade-a road safety
CAA MAnitobA hAs A reputAtion for legendary roadside assistance , of course , but also for our leadership when it comes to road safety . We ’ ve been coordinating the School Safety Patrol program in Manitoba for over half a century . In 1936 , teacher Louise Staples organized the first-ever patrol program at Winnipeg ’ s Greenway School . Now , as we look back and celebrate 80 years of dedication from thousands of patrols , we have also been looking to the future — to continue building a stronger community for everyone .
We ’ re committed to making our cities and towns safer for children , motorists and the public at large through our enhanced schoolzone strategy . That ’ s why we ’ re identifying and prioritizing school-zone safety issues in our neighbourhoods , and taking action to improve them . From surveying school-zone traffic to creating tools schools can use to improve road safety , we ’ ve got many projects on the go .
We continue to work collaboratively with the Winnipeg Police Service ( WPS ), Manitoba Public Insurance and other local groups and organizations on projects like our annual back-to-school safety assessments , which pinpoint and address the most concerning traffic problems near schools . The WPS recently reported that the number of tickets in school zones has been decreasing . That ’ s good news — but until we have zero school-zone tickets , we can do more . We have been a strong advocate for making reduced-speed school-zone signs more visible with flashing lights . We continue to consult with the City of Winnipeg to make this a reality in our community .
Unfortunately , there are still drivers who fail to slow
down or stop safely for school buses . That ’ s why we ’ re looking at what other Canadian communities are doing to reduce infractions around school buses . In cities like Vancouver , for example , bus-mounted cameras capture video of drivers who commit dangerous acts to avoid a stopped school bus . We will review initiatives like this and other options to consider how we could implement them in Manitoba to encourage safety around school buses . In the meantime , we ’ re working on ways to improve overall school-zone maintenance . For instance , we ’ re designing a simple checklist to help schools identify small issues that can be fixed immediately to improve accessibility and visibility on neighbourhood streets . We know easy-to-use tools can help make positive changes in a busy parent ’ s life , so we ’ re also working on ways to help moms and dads make sure a child gets home from school safely — no matter how they commute .
There ’ s no doubt the patrol program and our streets have seen changes over the years , from patrol belts and captain ’ s badges to reduced-speed school zones . But one thing that hasn ’ t changed over the decades is CAA Manitoba ’ s committment to promote road safety . The future of our neighbourhoods and roads is in our hands .
We are proud to work hard every day to build and strengthen road safety and to be a positive influence in our community .
Mike Mager president and cEo caa Manitoba
MaGER : thoMas fRickE ; patRol : photo couRtEsy of Manitoba public insuRancE
4 fall 2016
CAA Manitoba